Nagano City

This camera, run by the broadcaster NBS, looks over central Nagano City. The city sits in a basin ringed by mountains, and the ridgelines are almost always somewhere in the frame.

Nagano grew as a temple town. Zenkoji, founded in the seventh century, drew pilgrims from across the country long before there was a city here, and the main street still runs from the station up toward the temple gate rather than following any modern plan. The temple's principal image is a hidden buddha, shown only as a replica during the Gokaicho held roughly every seven years.

The other thing that shaped the place was the 1998 Winter Olympics, which brought the Hokuriku Shinkansen and rebuilt much of the centre. Winters here are cold and snow is normal from December through March, so the camera doubles as a practical check on conditions.